Non-displaceable receptacle



L. J. JACOB], JR

NON-DISPLACEABLE RECEIPTACLE Original Filed Feb. 8, 1954 Oct. 11,1960 1. wi. nul

United States Pat O P N ON -DISPLA'CEABLE RECEPTACLE Leon J. Jacobi,(112,340 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit, Mich.

Original application Feb. 8, 1954, Ser. No. 408,651,

now Patent No. 2,839,260, dated June 17, 1958. Digilzeilllgnd thisapplication June 16, 1958, Ser. No.

3 Claims. (Cl. 248-146) This invention relates to receptacles for solidsor liquids, and, in particular, to such receptacles which are providedwith means for preventing them from overturning or sliding off tables orother surfaces on Which they are placed.

One object of this invention is to provide a receptacle unit for solidsor liquids having a holder on the bot tom thereof for preventingaccidental displacement of the receptacle yet instantly permitting theintended removal of the receptacle from the surface upon which it isplaced.

Another object is to provide a receptacle unit for solids or liquidshaving a lateral-displacement-preventing holder thereon of the foregoingcharacter wherein the bottom of the receptacle is provided with a recessin which is mounted a suction cup having a downwardlyextended positionin which it is engaged with the table or other sustaining surface uponwhich the receptacle is supported, but which permits instant separationof the cup from the holder when the user desires to lift the receptaclefrom the table, and which has means for retracting and securing theholder within the recess and out of contact with the table or othersustaining surface when it is desired to remove the receptacle.

Another object is to provide a receptacle unit of the foregoingcharacter for solids or liquids wherein the holder has a stem whichslidably engages a correspondingly-shaped portion on the bottom of thereceptacle when the holder is in its extended position, but whichdetachably engages that portion when the holder is, in its retractedposition, such detachable engagement being variously provided as by athreaded connection or yielding detent.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentduring the course of the following description of the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a central vertical section through a receptacle unitincluding a receptacle for solids or liquids or for disposablereceptacles for such foods or liquids, equipped with a releasable holderfor preventing displacement or overturning of the receptacle, accordingto one form of the invention, with the holder in its extended position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the holder raisedand secured;

Figure 3 is a horizontalsection taken along the line 3-3 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary central vertical section through the lowerpart of a modification of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 3inclusive, with the holder extended; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary central vertical section-of anothermodification of the invention, with the holder shown in its extendedposition.

This is a division of my copending-application Serial No. 408,651 filedFebruary 8, 1954 for- Non-.Displaceable Receptacle, which was issued asU. S. PatentNo. 2,839,260 on June 17, 1958.

r. 2,955,792 Patented Oct. 11, 1960 Receptacles, such as cups, tumblers,dishes and bowls or the like for solids or liquids have been easilyoverturned accidentally either by being accidentally hit or, when usedin a vehicle, such as a ship, airplane, train or automobile, by beingjolted or tilted and thereby caused to slide or overturn. Suctionholders have hitherto been provided in the effort to prevent suchaccidents, but such holders have found little acceptance because of theeffort required to detach them from the table or other sustainingsurface whenever the user wishes to lift the receptacle, such as todrink from the receptacle.

The present invention provides a receptacle unit including a receptacleequipped with a holder which prevents lateral displacement oroverturning of the receptacle when under all ordinary circumstances orjouncing or jolting, but at the same time permits the user instantly andwithout special manipulation to lift the receptacle free from the tableor other sustaining surface and away from the suction cup part of theholder. The invention, however, additionally enables raising the holderinto a recess in the base of the receptacle where it is secured by athreaded or frictional resilient connection so as to be out of sight yetinstantly avaliable when the user next desires to make use of theholder. The re-- ceptacle may itself contain the solids or liquid, or itmay receive a supplimentary removable receptacle, such asa paper cup orother supplimentary receptacle.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figures 1, 2 and 3 show anon-displaceable removable receptacle unit, generally designated 10,consisting of a cup-shaped recep-- tacle 12 having a side wall or sidewalls 14 and a bottom wall 16 forming a recess or chamber 18 forreceiving; solids or liquids directly, or for receiving a supple--mentary receptacle, generally designated 20, preferably of similar shapeso as to fit the recess 18. The supplementary receptacle 20 may, forexample, be a enna-- nent receptacle, such as a dish or cup made ofglass, ceramic material, plastic or the like, or it may be adisposablereceptacle of paper or the like. The side: wall or side walls 14 extenddownward below the bottom wall 16 to form a supporting portion 22, suchas a skirt: or flange which, with the bottom wall 16, encloses a re cess24 at the bottom of the cupped or dished receptacle- 12. Thelater-displacement-preventing holding device, generally designated 25,includes a tubular portion 26 extending downwardly within the recess 24from the bot-- tom wall 16 and preferably integral therewith. Thetubular portion 26 has a bore or socket 28 therein with. an enlargedthreaded counterbore 30 adjacent the lower: end '32 thereof.

The holding device 25 also includes a holder 36 hav ing, asmooth stem34, slidably engaging the bore 28.. The holder 36. has an enlargedthreaded portion 38 adjacent the base of the stem'34 at its point ofconnection 'With the base 40 of suction cup 42. The suction cup 42' ispreferably of elastic deformable material, such as natural or syntheticrubber or resilient plastic, and has a suction cavity 44 in the bottomthereof surrounded by an annular edge or rim 45. The tubular portion 26and its threaded counterbore 30 are so located relatively to the loweredge 46-of the skirt 22 as to permit the stem 34 to smoothly andslidably engage the bore or socket 28 while the suction cup 42 is inengagement with a sustaining surface 48, such as a table top, chair armor the like, while positioning the threaded portion 38 of the holder 36below and out of engagement with the thread-. ed counterbore 30.

In the use of the form of the invention shownin Fig; ures 1, 2 and 3,let it be assumed that the holder 36' is. in its. raisedposition (Figure2) with the threaded enlarged. portion 38 screwed into: the. threadedcounter.- bore 30 so as to raise the suction cup 42 above and out V v 3of contact with the sustaining surface 48. This is the position in whichthe receptacle is assembled for transportation or storage, and maintainsthe holder 36 in a position where it cannot be lost, wher e itis ouLofsight, yet where itis'inStantly available for its. purpose of preventingdisplacement orioverturning. f pinereceptacle, 1

To make use of the holder 36 to preventoyerturning, sliding or otherdisplacementof the receptacle j12,.the user grasps the latter in onehand and unscrews the holder 36 by grasping the suction cup 42in thefingers of the other hand and rotating it until the threaded enlargedportion 38 is completely out of the thr'eaded'counterbore 30, enablingthe stemi34 to be completely withdrawn from'the bore 28. Holding thestem 34 between his thumb and forefinger, the .user applies the suctioncup 42 to the table or chair arm surface 48. and pushes downward upon itto flex the suction cup 42 and expel airtrom the cavity 44 by partiallyflattening the cup 42. This creates suction withinthe cavity 44.andcauses the edge or rim 45 of the suction cup 42 to securely grip j thesupporting surface 48. H p

I With the holder 36 thus firmly but detachably secured to thesustaining surface 48, the user then lowers the tubular portion 26 ofthe receptacle 12 upon the holder than the corresponding recess inFigures 1 36, causing the upstanding stem 34 to loosely and slid- V ablyenter the bore 28. The lower rim 46 of the receptacle 12, however, beingspaced a sufiicient distance below the lower end 32 of the tubularportion 26, prevents the threaded counterbore from coming into contactwith the threaded enlarged portion 38. Thus, the user can easily raiseand lower the receptacle 10 relatively to the holder 36 in order todrink or otherwise use the contents, replacing the tubular portion 26upon the stem 34 each time after such use. Thus, if theinvention isbeing used in a train, aircraft, boat, automobile or the like, theholder 36 prevents sliding or overturning of the receptacle 12 whilepermitting freeraising .and lowering thereof. 7 V 7 When the travelleror other use of the device has fi nished his meal or drink, or hasotherwise completed his use of the invention, he removes the receptacle12 by raising it away from the holder 36, breaks the suction between thecavity 44 and sustaining surface 48 by pulling the stem 34 away from thesurface 48, and then raises the holder 36 by screwing the portion 38into the threaded counterbore 30 after inserting the stem. 34 in thesocket 28. r V

The modified;non-displaceable removable receptacle unit, generallydesignated 50, shown in Figure 4 is generally similar to that shown inFigures l.to 3. inclusive, except for the construction of the holdingdevice, generally designated 52. The receptacle 12 of Figure 4 and itscomponent parts are the same as in Figure 1, hence bear the samereference numerals. In the Figure 4.

modification, however,. the bottom wall .16 carries a.

downwardly-extending member 54 consisting of a thread-. ed enlargement56 below which is an elongated smooth stem 58 of reduced diameter. Thestem 58 .engages a smooth bore or socket. 60 within the tubular shank.62of a holder, generally designated 64, the upper end of the socket orbore 60 having a threaded counterbore 66 'adapted. to receive thethreaded enlarged portion 56..

enlargedportion 56 but the elongated stem'58 .slidably and releasablyengages the socket or bore 60.

The use of the modified. non-displaceable. removable: receptacle unit 50of FigureA issimilar to thatshown.

4 in Figures 1, 2 and 3, and hence requires no additional description.The device is used as shown in Figure 4, but is removed and secured tothe threaded portion 56 in the same manner as described and shown inconnection with Figure 2. The devices difier in that in Figure 4 thestem is attached to the cup or dish 12 and the tubular member 62 to thesuction cup 72 instead of vice versa as'in Figures 1 and 2. 'M

FigureS shows another modification of the invention, generallydesignated 160. 'The modified receptacle unit 169 is similar to thereceptaclelO of Figures 1 and 2, except that the holding device 25 hasits tubular portion 26 extending upwardly into the recess 18 so thatthebottorn wall 16 is much closer to the bottom edge 46 of thesupporting portion 22 than in Figures 1 and 2. Since the parts areotherwise the same, they bear the same reference numerals as thecorresponding parts in Figures 1 and 2. The operation of the modifiedreceptacle unit 160 is also identical with that of Figures 1 and 2, accordingly the modified receptacle unit 160, foragiven capacity of liquidin the container 12, would have a somewhat less overall height than thereceptacle 10 of Figures 1 and 2, since the bottom recess 24 is lowerand 2. WhatI claim is: r a f V 1. A laterally non-displaceable separablereceptacle unit comprising a receptacle having a raised bottom with asupporting edge thereon defining a recess beneath said bottom, upper andlower separable lateral-displacementpreventing holding componentsdisposed within said recess, said upper component'being connected tosaid receptacle, said lower component having a portion extendingupwardly into sliding separable engagement with said upper component,and a suction'cup secured to said lower component and adapted toreleasably anchor said lower component to a smoothsustaining surface,said components also having releasable interlocking elements thereondisposable selectively in;locked and unlocked positions respectively,said elements including interfitting threaded portions spaced axiallyapart from one another on different levels inv said unlocked positionwhen said suction cup is in anchoring engagement'with said sustainingsurface and movable upward into interlocking engagement with one anotherwhen said suction cup is moved upward above the-level of saidsupportingedge farther into said recess into a retractedtemporarily-inoperative. position. disposed out of anchoring engagementwith said sustaining surface. a

2. A laterally-non-displaceable'separable receptacle unit comprising areceptacle having a raised bottom with a supporting edge thereondefining a recess beneath said bottom, upper and lower, separablelateral-displacementpreventing holding components disposed; adjacentsaid adapted to releasablyanchorsaid lower componentto a bottom, saidupper component being connected to said receptacle bottom and extendingupwardly therefrom;

said lowencompbnent being disposed'within said recess and having aportion extending upwardly into sliding.

separable engagement with'said upper component, and

a suction cup secured to said lower component and adapted to releasablyanchor said lower component to a smooth sustaining surface.

i 1 3. A laterally non-displaceable separable; receptacle unitcomprising a receptacle having a raised bottom with asuppo'rting" edgethereon defining a recessbeneath said bottom, upper.and lower separablelateral-displacementpreventing -holding components disposed adjacentsaid bottom, said-upper component being connected to said receptaclebottom and extending upwardly therefrom, said lower component beingdisposed within said recess and having a portion extending upwardly intosliding a smooth sustaining surface; said components f also hav- 5 6selectively in locked and unlocked positions respectively, operativeposition disposed out of anchoring engagesaid elements being spacedaxially apart from one anment with said sustaining surface.

other on different levels in said unlocked position when said suctioncup is in anchoring engagement with said References Cited in the file ofthis patent sustaining surface and movable upward into interlocking 5engagement with one another when said suction cup is UNITED STATESPATENTS moved upward above the level of said supporting edge 2,588,990Sanchez Mar. 11, 1952 farther into said recess into a retractedtemporarily-in- 2,623,369 Haydn Dec. 30, 1952.

